Many media content processing devices, such as a television set-top box (STB), allow a user to buffer media broadcasts. Typically, received media content is stored in memory, allowing a user to pause, rewind, and fast forward streaming media content. In addition, many STBs include personal video recorders (PVRs) that allow a user to record media content for later playback, and also allow a user to fast-forward through the recorded content.
The ability to buffer broadcast media content is impacting the advertising industry. In the past broadcast programming such as television programming has been subsidized by the insertion of promotional (e.g., advertising) messages such as commercials into the programming. Today, many users fast-forward through promotional messages using their PVR. Yet, despite such activity attempts have been made to measure how many people watch a particular show, even if the viewing is time-shifted. However, advertisers do not have a mechanism for determining how many users actually view a particular promotional message provided during a specific show. In addition, advertisers do not have a mechanism for determining the demographic of those viewers who either watched or skipped a particular message. Such information could be used by advertisers to understand the effectiveness of their promotional or advertising campaigns, and to understand the value of a particular promotional message. Further, such information could assist an advertiser in selecting a more appropriate target demographic based on those viewers who actually watched each message.